H1B visa is an employment visa for the USA, which lets foreign workers start their career in the USA and is the most sought visa to live in the USA for many foreign nationals. But the H1B visa
program is one of the most competitive visa programs and every year, USCIS gets more applications than the number of visas available, and therefore conducts a chance for those lucky persons that will be selected for the visa.
You can opt to wait for the lottery if you have applied for an H1B visa for instance. Since USCIS has implemented online registration, it is easier to verify the
H1B visa lottery results. The system provides the employers or their legal assignees with the opportunity to register the prospective employees through electronic means within a specified registration timeframe. USCIS sets a cutoff date for registration and then, through a lottery system, informs all the candidates.
Thus, applicants can check their result of the H1B visa lottery by using the USCIS Online system for the H1B registration. The lottery or registration status can also be checked by the employer or the lawyer, who submitted the H1B registration. While USCIS sends the notification to the employer or their designated representative through email, the notification might not contain the update of the case. It is recommended that you always keep checking the status of your H1B visa registration to remain updated.
The USCIS H1B online lets the applicants check out the H1B lottery and allow them to confirm the results. The details of the lottery or the registration may be verified by the employer or the lawyer who has submitted the H1B registration.
Understanding H1B Lottery Process
Employers in the US can hire foreign workers in specialty occupations through a nonimmigrant visa known as H1B visa. Number of H1B visas issued is limited and people apply for these visas every year more than what the government can provide. However, to decide which of the petitions is to be considered, USCIS uses a system of selection or a mechanism of a draw.
The H1B lottery is normally conducted in the first week of April. Employees being hired by their employers seek the sponsorship of their employers to file H1B during the filing window. It usually starts from the 1 st of April and ends between the 2 nd and the 5 th of April.
H1B lottery selection involves two processes. Out of at least 20% sufficient to reach 65,000 visas in the first phase, USCIS randomly selects enough petitions for processing. During the next phase, an additional 20 thousand petitions are selected by USCIS for workers with a master’s degree or higher education from a higher education institution in the United States.
The lottery results are then mailed to employers, and
USCIS updates the statuses of cases on the Internet for that. However, it is important for the general public to know that merely getting selected in the lottery did not guarantee H1B visa approval. The petition still has to be reviewed and also approved by USCIS.
H1B Visa And The Lottery Requirements
For one to secure a visa in the H1B lottery, there are certain things that he or she must meet. You have to have an offer letter from a company in the United States willing to sponsor him or her H1B visa. He means that a person that will do this must have graduated in some specific field.
A candidate must possess education and work experience to qualify for the job if he or she wants to be considered for the slot. Also, the U.S. employer must establish that he or she will pay the H1B employee the prevailing wage in the area of intended workplace.
Each fiscal year has a ceiling of 65,000 visas for those with a bachelor’s degree or equivalent, and an additional 20,000 for those with a master’s degree or PhD from any university in the United States. Included into the cap are regular and advanced degree exemption petitions.
Precautions to Take Before You Confirm Your H1B Lottery Status
A review of the H1B lottery results must therefore be preceded by an understanding of the process and preparation for it. Before viewing the results, bear the following points in mind:
It is therefore important that one retains the receipt number
Once the H1B lottery registration is successfully done they get a receipt number from the USCIS. One can only check these lottery results if he has this receipt number. This receipt number should be well kept and should preferably be easily accessed by the petitioner.
Confirm Identity of Your Account with USCIS
The respondent’s online USCIS account where the petitioner’s cases are subjected to will contain the H1B lottery results posted by the USCIS.
It is also important to keep your account with USCIS active and visit recent changes often. If the petitioner does not hold any account then the latter should create one at the moment.
Have patience
The outcome of the H1B lottery will be announced in March or April. This is all because of the congestion of the applications in USCIS, and it normally takes a long time before the USCIS notifies the petitioner. In case the results are delayed then it is important that one should not lose his or her patience or get Agitated.
Identify on the lottery procedure
It is impossible to apply pressure on the results generated by the H1B lottery process since it’s based on chance. But it is important to understand this and also to be able not to get scammed by fake campaigns that claim victory.
Consult the attorney
In the case where the petitioner has any doubts or questions concerning the lottery procedure he or she should consult a qualified immigration attorney. The attorney can advise directions dn counsel as to further action to be taken.
Wrapping Up
If one wants to confirm the H1B lottery results, the first and primary step you would need to take is log in to your USCIS online account. Petitioners must ensure that they can log into the USCIS account and that their contact information is updated to enable them to receive the notification.
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